What is the effect of increasing the frequency of a wave?

Increasing the frequency of a wave leads to an increase in the energy it carries. This relationship arises from the concept that waves with higher frequencies tend to have more energy. For electromagnetic waves, for example, higher frequencies correspond to shorter wavelengths and greater energy per photon.

When analyzing mechanical waves, such as sound waves, it is also true that higher frequency waves can transfer energy more efficiently through a medium. This means that as the frequency increases, the wave can contain more energy for the same medium conditions. Thus, an increase in frequency is directly linked to an increase in the energy of the wave.

The other options do not align with the physical principles governing waves. For instance, increasing frequency does not inherently decrease speed since wave speed is determined by the medium in which the wave travels and not solely by frequency. Similarly, a higher frequency does not lead to an increased wavelength; in fact, frequency and wavelength are inversely related according to the wave equation (speed = frequency × wavelength). Lastly, amplitude, which relates to the wave's intensity or power, is independent of frequency and does not decrease solely due to an increase in frequency.